Strength of Conviction
by Kamiyashi
Summary: Kaiba wants Yami and he'll enjoy the challenge of convincing his rival. Prideshipping: KxYY
1. Chapter 01: Temptation

**Title: **_Strength of Conviction_

**Summary: **Kaiba wants Yami and he'll enjoy the challenge of convincing his rival.

**Pairing:** Kaiba x Yami

**Rating**: M for graphic lemons, sexual content, and mature language.

**Disclaimer:** _Yu-Gi-Oh!_ does not and never has belonged to me.

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><p><strong>Chapter 01: Temptation<strong>

Kaiba Seto was many things and right now he was interested in his rival, Yami. Ever since the first time they had dueled, Yami had been on Kaiba's radar. At first it was merely as an irritant who needed to be defeated, but somewhere along the way that had changed. Yami became somebody Kaiba wanted to defeat in a different kind of battle, one that took place in bed rather than on the playing field. Kaiba wanted Yami and there was nothing that was going to get in the way of his desire. He was a man who knew what he wanted and wasn't afraid to take it at any cost.

Thus it came to be that Kaiba was dueling Yami in the privacy of his empty house. It was a rouse to get Yami away from his friends and the fact that his rival agreed to come alone gave Kaiba hope. It didn't matter that he lost the duel. No, all it proved was just how powerful Yami was and that made Kaiba want him even more. Yami was the only one worthy enough for him and Kaiba was determined to win him over somehow.

"I can see why you didn't want any witnesses," Yami arrogantly commented when they met on the floor in front of the dueling platforms.

"Is that why you think I wanted to get you alone?" Kaiba asked as he took two steps closer to Yami and got in his personal space.

It forced Yami to look up at Kaiba and he questioned, "What other reason is there?"

"Several," Kaiba replied as he looked down at Yami.

The intense look in Kaiba's blue eyes stirred something unknown inside of Yami and he found himself taking a step back from the brunette in response. "Is that so?" Yami asked, but there was a note of uncertainty in his tone.

"Aren't you the least bit curious?" Kaiba wondered, enjoying the power rush of making his rival unsteady.

"N-No," Yami stuttered as Kaiba pressed closer still.

Leaning as close as he dared, Kaiba murmured, "I don't believe you."

Yami felt like it was hard to breathe with Kaiba pressed so close to him. Being around his rival was always an intense experience, but this was a new level. He didn't know how to interpret the way Kaiba was looking at him, but he felt like they were on the verge of something. It was intimidating and Yami said, "I think I should go now."

"What about a rematch?" Kaiba asked as he reached out and stroked Yami's cheek just to see the reaction.

Kaiba touching him was a new experience and Yami wasn't quite sure what to do about it or why it sent chills through him. "Maybe another time," Yami deferred, startled when Kaiba went from caressing his cheek to using his chin to pull their faces closer together. "Kaiba…"

Oh, how Kaiba wanted to hear his rival moan his name at the height of ecstasy. It made him say, "Yami," in a tone filled with lust and need.

It startled Yami when he felt himself physically react to the way Kaiba said his name. Kaiba had yelled his name a lot during duels, but this was new. For the briefest moment Yami stopped breathing as he waited for Kaiba to do something. However, his nerves got the best of him and Yami backed away before something could happen.

"Scared?" Kaiba challenged, resisting the urge to corner Yami and have his wicked way with him against a wall.

"No," Yami hotly denied as he crossed his arms over his chest defensively. "I have no reason to be scared of you."

Smirking at that, Kaiba said nothing of it. Instead he realized he had probably pushed his rival as far as he could that day. It was a shame because the empty house was such a wasted opportunity. Instead of mourning that further, Kaiba offered, "I'll drive you home."

"What about your rematch?" Yami asked.

"I think I'll save that for a time when you're better…prepared," Kaiba replied with a dark laugh at his alternative meaning.

Furrowing his eyebrows, Yami demanded, "What's that supposed to mean?"

Kaiba was unable to resist the pouting lips and even though he knew he shouldn't, he captured them in a passionate kiss. Yami's sound of protest was swallowed by Kaiba as he continued a dominating kiss that affected them both. It made Kaiba want to take Yami right then and there, but he showed restraint and backed off with a final suckle of his rival's lower lip. "It means I don't think you're prepared to lose to me," Kaiba murmured as he stepped back with a heated look.

Yami could only blink as he tried to process the fact that his rival had just kissed him and so sensuously at that. He felt heat flaring through his veins and he could only stare in disbelief at Kaiba as he tried to say, "You just…"

Laughing at Yami's reaction, Kaiba led the way out of the dueling arena and to the garage, pleased with himself. "I'll take you home," Kaiba repeated.

"But you just…" Yami continued trying to articulate and failing. Never in a million years would he have expected to be kissed and so passionately by his rival. Why had he done such a thing?

"Unless of course you want to stay," Kaiba volunteered, hoping against all odds that Yami would agree.

Not trusting himself to speak, Yami shook his head. It was only once they were in the car that Yami recovered his composure enough to ask, "Why did you do that?"

"Why didn't you stop me is the better question," Kaiba countered, still surprised that his rival hadn't tried to push him away at the very least. It gave Kaiba hope that his rival might not be as opposed as he had previously thought.

It was a valid question and Yami didn't have a good answer for it. "I need to know why," Yami told him, needing to make sense of what had just happened.

"Because I wanted to," Kaiba replied with a shrug, figuring it was close enough to the truth.

"You weren't punishing me for defeating you?" Yami questioned.

Arching an eyebrow at the interpretation, Kaiba wondered, "Since when was kissing considered a punishment?"

"Why else would you do it?" Yami retorted, still not understanding.

"It's a good thing you're not always this dense," Kaiba said with a laugh that caused Yami to scowl. "You wouldn't be worthy of being my rival otherwise."

"But what other reason is there?" Yami pressed, needing to understand Kaiba's motivation.

Laughing again, Kaiba refused to answer. "You're bright, you'll figure it out," Kaiba told him as they pulled up in front of the Game Shop.

For a moment, Yami thought Kaiba was going to kiss him again, but he didn't. "I'll see you later," Yami said before scrambling to get out of the car.

"I'll look forward to our rematch," Kaiba replied before Yami shut the car door.

Laughing to himself, Kaiba smirked as Yami hurried inside his home. It felt good to have finally kissed his rival and Kaiba longed to do it again and again. It made Kaiba curious as to how their next meeting would go. Until then, Kaiba would content himself with memories of tasting Yami's surprise.

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><p><strong>AN: **And so we start another story. This is currently projected to be eight chapters long.

**NEXT CHAPTER:**

"_I wouldn't be so sure about that," Yuugi said, suspecting he was closer to the truth than Yami was comfortable with acknowledging. _

The next chapter will be posted on **Sunday, November 9th**. I look forward to hearing your reactions to this story!


	2. Chapter 02: Talking It Out

**Chapter 02: Talking It Out**

Shutting the door behind him after he arrived home and leaning against it heavily, Yami realized he was breathing heavily. _What the hell just happened?_ Yami wondered, still unable to make sense of it all.

"Hey, you're back!" Yuugi brightly greeted Yami until he noticed his worked up state. "What's wrong?"

"Kaiba kissed me," Yami answered, saying it out loud making it feel even more surreal. "He actually _kissed_ me."

"What? Why?" Yuugi questioned in shock.

"He said because he wanted to," Yami replied as he finally moved away from the door and toward the living room as he followed Yuugi.

"Is that a bad thing?" Yuugi asked, surprising Yami.

"Of course it's a bad thing!" Yami immediately protested. "It's _Kaiba_."

Once again shocking Yami, Yuugi's only response was, "So?"

"He's my _rival_," Yami answered, as if that explained everything.

"Did you enjoy it?" Yuugi shyly questioned, having his suspicions that the answer was yes.

Sitting down heavily on the couch, Yami argued, "That's not the point! The point is—"

Interrupting Yami, Yuugi pointed out, "That wasn't a no."

Scowling at that, Yami muttered, "Fine, I suppose it wasn't _terrible_, but he's my rival and we can't—"

"He's also your friend," Yuugi interrupted again to add.

"What's that have to do with anything?" Yami demanded, although he didn't refute the claim. He had long considered Kaiba a friend, but he doubted the feeling was mutual.

Grinning, Yuugi held up his hands defensively as he protested, "I'm just saying, there's no rule that says friends can't do that."

"But _why_ would he do that?" Yami wanted to know, still not understanding Kaiba's motivation.

"He said because he wanted to, right?" Yuugi questioned.

"Yeah," Yami confirmed, "but I don't get _why_."

Hiding a grin behind his hand, Yuugi explained, "Did it ever occur to you that it's because he likes you?"

Scoffing at that, Yami immediately denied, "There's no way! Kaiba doesn't _like_ people, let alone like _that_."

Yuugi shrugged as he suggested, "Maybe you're not people. You're his rival, someone who matters. And how do you know he's never liked anyone that way?"

Burying his face in his hands, Yami muttered, "This doesn't make any sense."

"Oh, it makes plenty of sense," Yuugi contradicted. "He's obsessed with you, so is it really so large of a leap to believe it could be in a romantic way?"

"Kaiba? Romantic?" Yami repeated before laughing loudly. "Kaiba is many things, but romantic is _not_ one of them."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Yuugi said, suspecting he was closer to the truth than Yami was comfortable with acknowledging. "I bet he likes you."

"He doesn't even like me as a friend," Yami protested, sounding more bitter than he meant to. "What makes you think he'd like me as a boyfriend?"

"Would you like him as a boyfriend?" Yuugi asked, finally causing Yami to look up at that question.

"Why would I think of him like that?" Yami wanted to know. "Just because I like guys doesn't automatically mean I'm attracted to someone like Kaiba."

"But he's handsome," Yuugi knowingly argued, having figured out Yami's type some time ago.

"He's arrogant," Yami stubbornly persisted since he couldn't refute the claim.

Laughing at that, Yuugi had to point out, "But so are you."

"That's different," Yami defended himself. "I'm at least _nice_."

"He's nice to his brother," Yuugi said, enjoying poking holes in Yami's weak arguments.

"Whose side are you on?" Yami demanded.

Smiling reassuringly at Yami, Yuugi answered, "Always your side. But I think you're protesting a little too much for someone who's not interested."

"But I've never thought about him like that!" Yami exclaimed.

"Maybe it's time you start," Yuugi wisely suggested.

"But it's _Kaiba_," Yami protested. "He doesn't need anyone but Mokuba."

"People change," Yuugi stated. "Maybe Kaiba-kun's grown up a little."

"Right," Yami said in a disbelieving tone. "Because Kaiba just decided over night that he has a crush on me."

"Oh, I think he's had it a lot longer than a night," Yuugi commented. "It's been at least since Battle City."

It took a moment for that fact to register and Yami started to protest, "One, that was _years_ ago. Two, you _knew_ he felt this way and said nothing?"

"I don't know for a fact," Yuugi reassured Yami. "I'm just saying, in hindsight, that's when his obsession with you really came to light."

It was true that the two had bonded during their trials at Battle City, but did that mean Kaiba liked him in that sense? "That doesn't mean he likes me," Yami protested, still not convinced. "Not like that, anyway."

"I'm pretty sure kissing is a good indicator that it's like that," Yuugi said with a grin. "We all know Kaiba doesn't do anything unnecessarily, so why else would he do that unless he really likes you?"

Yami didn't have an answer to that question either and he continued grousing, "This still makes no damn sense."

"Then talk it over with him," Yuugi suggested. "But prepare yourself to have an answer for him."

The comment confused Yami and he asked, "What do you mean?"

"I mean whether or not you like him back," Yuugi clarified. "He's not exactly patient."

"But I don't _have_ an answer," Yami growled in frustration.

"Then that is its own answer, isn't it?" Yuugi astutely noted. "If it's not an outright no to him, then you need to figure out whether that means it's a yes."

Groaning as he laid down on the couch, Yami wondered, "Why did he have to do that?"

"He probably couldn't help himself," Yuugi guessed. "The rush of adrenaline after a fight, I get that."

"I'm glad one of us does, because I'm fucking lost," Yami complained.

Smiling kindly at Yami, Yuugi said, "You're smart, you'll figure it out."

"That's what he said," Yami crossly muttered, not amused by it when Yuugi started laughing. "It's not funny!"

"Sorry," Yuugi apologized as he tried to reign in his amusement. "If I were you, I'd try to figure out if you liked being kissed by him and go from there."

"But what am I supposed to do when I see him again?" Yami asked, although he had no clue when his rival would have enough free time to duel. "Just act like nothing happened?"

"That really depends on what conclusion you reach, doesn't it?" Yuugi pointed out, knowing it could go a couple of different ways.

Sighing miserably, Yami continued to scowl over the issue. He knew he needed to reflect further on the matter, but it really didn't appeal to him. "I'll think about it later," Yami finally decided, knowing his mind wasn't going to give him any choice in the matter.

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><p><strong>AN:** I'm so glad that everyone seems to really like this version of confident Kaiba! It's also been fun to write a more uncertain Yami and I hope that everyone continues to enjoy the story.

**NEXT CHAPTER:**

_Yami just couldn't be sure from one kiss._

The next chapter will be posted on **Sunday, November 16th**, so please look forward to it! Unfortunately, I'm in the middle of applications process, so I'm going to be a bit behind on review responses, but I truly do appreciate you taking the time to let me know your thoughts on this new story.


	3. Chapter 03: Thinking It Over

**A/N: **There is a little **solo play** and **perverse imagination **in this one, but it's fairly brief and mild.

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><p><strong>Chapter 03: Thinking It Over<strong>

Alone in his room as he lay down in his bed, Yami's mind instantly turned toward the incident that afternoon. As disconcerting as it was, Yami still couldn't forget the feeling of Kaiba's lips against his. Even now, it filled Yami with a heat that he didn't understand as his heart fluttered wildly. He had expected it to be harsh and unforgiving, but it had been soft yet passionate, something completely unexpected from Kaiba. Yami couldn't help but respond; it was only after the fact that his mind started protesting.

He still couldn't wrap his head around the fact that _the_ Kaiba Seto had _actually_ kissed him. How had that happened? And did he actually want it to happen again? He tried picturing it, but somehow it was too embarrassing. Yuugi was right, though; Kaiba wasn't the kind of person who would do something so needlessly. So did that mean Kaiba actually liked Yami? It was just too strange a concept to fathom. The only person Kaiba liked was Mokuba, surely. So how did Yami end up on that list?

Or maybe he wasn't interested in Yami at all and was just after something physical? But that didn't seem like Kaiba either. It was all just so confusing, because if Kaiba wanted to kiss him, what else did he want to do? Yami's cheeks flushed as he thought about what that "or else" entailed. Could he really think about Kaiba in such a way? Did Yami want to?

Yami had known for a long time that he had preferred men, but somehow Kaiba was untouchable. And yet he had reached out to touch Yami, had actually initiated a point of contact. Why?

Yami tried to imagine Kaiba taking things further, but it was too improbable. He just couldn't picture Kaiba wanting to be with him in such an intimate way. At the same time, an image of Kaiba pinning him down on the bed and taking him hard and fast was quick to come to mind. Yami felt a shocking jolt of arousal at the thought. Apparently _some_ part of Yami found the idea appealing. Sure, Kaiba was attractive and was Yami's ideal in a lot of ways, but in other respects they were a horrible match.

Picturing himself riding Kaiba was just as much of a turn on, if not more so. Yami was startled when he felt another sharp burst of arousal that was starting to lead to a burgeoning erection. It made Yami back things up a bit, picturing them stripping each other as quickly as they could after a duel. It was hot and passionate as hungry kiss led to hungry kiss, their hands never stopping the exploration of the other. It made Yami ache with want and he stopped his mind from going any further out of self-preservation. He was almost uncomfortably hard and Yami tried to calm himself. There was just a sense of wrongness about jerking off while thinking about his rival. Even having such an urge was shocking enough.

Clearly parts of Yami were all on board with the idea, but he still had his reservations about it. After all, it was _Kaiba Seto_. He wasn't exactly known for his sexual exploits. Yami had never seen Kaiba express an interest in either gender before, which was part of the real he was so surprised. Since when had Kaiba been interested in him?

There was probably some truth to Yuugi's theory that it started around Battle City. But did a spark of interest in their rivalry really lead to Kaiba liking Yami in such a way? It was just a huge leap in logic that it was hard to accept.

Rolling over and staring blankly at his wall, Yami continued trying to make sense of it all. Somehow Yami got the sense that he could think about the subject for endless hours and he would never make sense of Kaiba kissing him. Why had he done such a thing? Was it really because he liked Yami in such a way? Was such a thing even possible?

There had been no change in Kaiba's behavior that would have alerted Yami to the fact that his rival's opinion of him had changed. That was the real mystifying thing. One moment they were dueling, the next they were kissing? How did that even work?

That thought recalled his earlier image and it made Yami curl up in a ball with a groan as his hard on refused to go away on its own. If the thought of being with Kaiba was so appealing, why was this the first time he was considering it seriously?

It wasn't as if Yami had never considered a friend in that way before. He and Otogi had dabbled at dating until they realized they were better off as friends. Whenever they had hooked up and fooled around had been hot as hell and deeply satisfying, but something crucial had been missing. It was a shame, because Otogi had been extremely talented in more ways than one.

Pulling himself from those memories, Yami wondered if it would be any different with Kaiba. He just couldn't picture the two of them going out on a date together. It was too foreign of a concept for Yami to grasp. But as Otogi had proved, Yami needed something beyond the physical attraction to keep him interested. Was Kaiba capable of providing that?

Not to say that the physical end of things wasn't important. Just thinking of those long, graceful fingers on his body made Yami feel hot and bothered in a way that was totally unexpected. He just wasn't used to thinking about Kaiba in such terms. He had just never been an option in Yami's opinion so there was no point in dwelling on impossible things.

Suddenly it didn't seem so impossible, though. Did that mean that Yami was actually interested? He wasn't sure, although his hard on certainly made a convincing argument otherwise. He tried to will it away with little success and Yami was starting to become desperate for relief.

It drove him to take himself in hand and start working his length despite his protests that it was inappropriate. Inappropriate or not, Yami continued jerking off while shyly thinking about being with Kaiba. As he thought about foreplay, Yami's freehand traversed his body slowly, heightening his feeling. The more into it Yami became, the less embarrassing it was for him to think about in such a way. As things progressed in his mind to actual sex, Yami thought he was going to lose his mind as his body reacted favorably to the fantasy. He imagined Kaiba over him, powerful and strong, driving Yami wild with lust at the thought of being taken by such a man. It didn't take long for Yami to cum after that and he had to bite his lower lip to hold in the cry that wanted to escape as his whole body arched in reaction to his release.

His breathing was erratic as he came down from his high and Yami shuddered with want as he felt himself aching for more despite the satisfying climax.

Yami wondered if he could really be with Kaiba in such a way. Would he be able to accept Kaiba in such a capacity? Was that even what Kaiba wanted? Yami just couldn't be sure from one kiss.

Reaching over to his nightstand for tissues to clean himself off, Yami realized that Yuugi was right and he was going to have to talk it over with Kaiba, as unpleasant of a thought as it was. Somehow he doubted he would get a clear answer out of his rival, but he at least had to try for the sake of his own sanity.

Sighing heavily, Yami continued mulling the problem long into the night, no closer to having an answer.

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><p><strong>AN: **It's an interesting switch writing a whole chapter in Yami's head for a change…

**NEXT CHAPTER:**

_Reaching out and taking hold of Yami's chin, Kaiba murmured, "Do you require another demonstration?"_

The next chapter will be posted on **Sunday, November 23rd**, so please look forward to it!


	4. Chapter 04: A Little Less Conversation

**A/N: **Things get a little bit heated, but not graphic enough to merit an official warning, so…

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><p><strong>Chapter 04: A Little Less Conversation<strong>

Walking into Kaiba Corporation was as much confidence as he could muster, Yami strode into Kaiba's office and tried not to feel intimated by the show of power.

Sitting behind his desk with a smirk, Kaiba watched with almost predatory glee as Yami came closer. Sure, his rival seemed confident, but Kaiba knew better. Yami was bothered enough to seek him out and that meant Kaiba held all the power in the situation.

"We need to talk," Yami stated as he stopped in front of the chairs by Kaiba's desk.

Standing up and approaching Yami, Kaiba condescendingly cooed, "Isn't that cute?" He walked around his desk and stood before Yami, forcing his rival to back up and end up sitting in one of the chairs. Leaning forward and bracing his hands on the arms of the chair, Kaiba watched Yami intently. "Do you really think that you can come into my office and make demands of me?"

Swallowing hard, Yami looked up at Kaiba and felt his heart start to race at being in such close proximity to his rival. "You owe me answers," Yami defiantly argued, unaware of what his bravado did to Kaiba.

"I gave you all the answers you needed," Kaiba said as he straightened up to his full height to look down at Yami. "It's not my fault that you're too stubborn to accept them."

"That's rich, you accusing me of being the stubborn one," Yami scoffed, annoyed by the fact he was somewhat intimated by Kaiba in that position. It just made him feel so small in the chair and it caused Yami to stand, even though it brought them closer together.

"I told you the truth and you refuse to accept it," Kaiba replied. "How is that my fault?"

"Because you may have told me why, but not the reasoning behind your actions," Yami shot back huffily.

Reaching out and taking hold of Yami's chin, Kaiba murmured, "Do you require another demonstration?"

Yami was momentarily paralyzed by the intense look in Kaiba's eyes and he found it hard to breathe. "No," Yami breathily denied, but his heart was hammering wildly.

"Pity," Kaiba said in disappointment as he released his hold on Yami. "You should go."

Refusing to accept the brush off, Yami snapped, "You can't just kiss me and then act like it never happened!"

"And what would you like to happen?" Kaiba asked, wondering if maybe he had made more progress than he thought.

"I don't know," Yami growled in frustration. "I just want to know why you wanted to do that."

Running his thumb against Yami's lower lip, Kaiba replied, "Because of reasons."

"What reasons?" Yami demanded.

"My reasons," Kaiba returned, loving the indignant flare of rage in those expressive crimson eyes.

Trying to control his anger, Yami ordered, "Tell me."

"I'd rather show you," Kaiba murmured before capturing Yami's lips once more. When Yami tried to pull away, Kaiba wrapped his arm around his rival's lithe waist and held him closer still. He continued trying to kiss Yami into submission, pleased when he felt Yami's resistance fade as he held on tightly to Kaiba's jacket lapels. He rewarded his rival by slipping his tongue into that wet warmth he had dreamt about having wrapped around his male pride. He took his time exploring, teasing Yami until his rival was almost ready to beg for more. Only then did Kaiba pull away and say, "That's your answer."

A white haze had descended over Yami's mind at the perfection of such a passionate kiss and he could only blink as he took a moment to recover. When had Kaiba learned how to kiss with such soul searing passion? And who had taught him? Those were questions for another time, though. "Do you like me?" Yami finally was able to ask.

Ignoring the actual question, Kaiba replied, "Oh, there's lots of things I'd like to do to you. With you."

"That's not what I asked," Yami crossly stated, even as his mind started to wonder if Kaiba's ideas were as perverse as his tone implied.

Kaiba loved Yami's hot temper and it was even better close up like they were. It compelled him to kiss Yami again and refrained from letting his hands wander like they wanted. Yami was a little slower to pull away this time and it renewed Kaiba's hopes that he was making progress.

"You can't just kiss me when you don't want to answer my question," Yami complained, annoyed that he sounded so breathless.

Smirking arrogantly, Kaiba said, "It seems to be working so far," before kissing Yami again. It was divine being able to do so and Kaiba indulged for as long as his rival would allow the liberty, not sure if he'd ever get the chance again to taste his rival.

Pushing at Kaiba's chest to create some distance, Yami told him, "Stop."

"I don't want to," Kaiba retorted as he stole another devastatingly perfect kiss.

It was getting harder to remember to pull away and Yami struggled against warring anger and hormones over the issue. "What about what I want?" Yami demanded.

"What do you want?" Kaiba asked as he willed his hands not to explore the tempting expanses of Yami's body. It was just so damn tempting…

Amazed that Kaiba had actually asked, Yami came straight out and said, "I want to know if you like me."

"And what other reason would I have for wanting to do this to you?" Kaiba retorted as he kissed Yami again for the sheer hell of it.

Shrugging, Yami suggested, "To embarrass me," as he pulled back.

"And what purpose would that serve?" Kaiba wanted to know. "What reason would I have for wanting to do that?"

"Because I always win in our duels?" Yami answered, although he sounded uncertain.

"Nice thought, but no," Kaiba denied.

Eyes going wide at that, Yami realized, "Then you actually like me."

Laughing at Yami's reaction, Kaiba commented, "You sound so surprised."

"You're you!" Yami protested. "You don't _like_ people. You barely tolerate their existence in your world unless they're your brother or customer."

"You are my rival," Kaiba explained as he trailed his fingers along Yami's cheek, sending shivers through him at the tenderness. "You have your place."

To say Yami was floored was an understatement. "So does that mean…that you want to _date_ me?" Yami questioned in disbelief.

Letting his fingers trail down to Yami's neck, Kaiba smirked when he felt his rival swallow hard. "Does the idea displease you?" Kaiba asked, trying not to get overexcited. When Yami didn't answer immediately, Kaiba moved their positions so that he was caging his rival against the desk. "I asked you a question."

The intensity of the moment was getting to Yami and he looked away for a moment to collect his thoughts. He was unprepared for his bodily reaction to the sensual way Kaiba said his name and he cursed himself for the betrayal. It was just so hard to stay in control with Kaiba so close to him. When Kaiba came close to his ear and moaned, "Yami," sensuously before suckling on his earlobe. Yami's breath caught in his throat and he shivered as want and need rocketed through his system.

Yami meant to say, "Kaiba," warningly, but it came out in such a wanton manner that he could hardly believe it. "Wait, wait, wait."

Releasing Yami's ear, Kaiba asked, "For what?"

"I don't know what you want from me," Yami protested as he tried to calm his body. Even when he had been with Otogi, his body had never been so quick to arousal, so this was a new mystery for Yami.

"What I want from you is to have you on the desk begging for more," Kaiba boldly told him. "I want you in bed, screaming out my name. I want—"

"Whoa, _wait_," Yami interrupted, his cheeks flushing in embarrassment and arousal as images flashed in his mind of those scenarios. "Seriously?"

Pushing Yami back onto the desk, Kaiba braced his hands on either side of his rival's head, Yami stared up at him in shock when he felt Kaiba's hard length pressed against him and he was torn between fleeing or doing exactly what Kaiba wanted. "_Seriously_?" Yami repeated in disbelief.

"I'm _very_ serious," Kaiba replied before he kissed Yami hungrily. The soft moan Yami made was delicious and it drove Kaiba to run one of his hands under Yami's untucked shirt to stroke his skin. It made Yami take a shuddering breath, but Kaiba was relentless as he ensured that Yami enjoyed himself.

Yami knew that he should try and take back control of the situation, but it just felt so damn good that he didn't want it to stop. His hands rebelled by entangling his fingers in lush brunette hair as he pulled Kaiba closer still. It felt like he was drowning in Kaiba and Yami couldn't get enough of it for some reason. He still had questions, but he was getting answers a different way at the moment.

When Kaiba ran his hand over Yami's now prominent arousal, it caused the former pharaoh to break the kiss with a loud gasp. It made Kaiba want to have his way with Yami right then and there, but he resisted the impulse. "So you're not nearly as opposed to this as you would lead me to believe," Kaiba commented as he lightly groped Yami's erection through his jeans.

Letting his hands fall from Kaiba's hair to the desk, Yami looked up into intense blue eyes and felt himself melt a little. It made Yami look like they had been doing a lot more than just making out and Kaiba had to calm himself. He wanted more from his rival than just a quick and meaningless fuck on a desk, even though certain parts of Kaiba were inclined to do just that.

Gathering the wherewithal to answer, Yami finally managed to say, "Until I know where you stand, I don't know what to feel."

"And if I said that I wanted to be with you," Kaiba stated, even though he disliked talking about things like feels.

"I'd need to know why," Yami told him, wondering if Kaiba was going to be honest with him. "Because if it's just for a meaningless—"

Interrupting Yami, Kaiba scornfully commented, "As if I have time to waste on something meaningless?"

"You're saying you actually have feelings for me?" Yami asked in a small voice, still unable to believe in such a thing.

"Isn't it obvious?" Kaiba asked with a laugh.

"Besides arousal," Yami clarified, since he could still feel Kaiba's hard length against him. "I'm talking about actual feelings."

"Contrary to popular belief, I am actually capable of having those," Kaiba pointed out, knowing he had been accused on more than one occasion of being an unfeeling bastard.

"But do you have them for me?" Yami pressed, needing an answer.

"Deeply," Kaiba forced himself to confess, "and for some time now."

It shocked Yami to hear and he guessed, "Since Battle City?"

"Hn, so you weren't completely oblivious," Kaiba realized with some annoyance.

"Actually I was," Yami said with a sheepish grin. "Aibou told me that the other day."

Arching an eyebrow in surprise at that piece of information, Kaiba figured it was something to think about later.

It caused Yami to continue, "So you've actually had a crush on me for years?"

"Does that change anything?" Kaiba wanted to know.

"Why did it take you so long to make your move?" Yami questioned, finding it odd.

"I wasn't sure you were interested," Kaiba said with a shrug.

"Then what changed?" Yami asked.

"I found out about you and Otogi," Kaiba said with a dark look of jealousy that made Yami feel a new kind of heat in his veins.

"That was over a year ago," Yami pointed out, refusing to feel bad about it.

Shrugging again, Kaiba amended defended himself, "I wasn't going to be your rebound."

"I'd never do that," Yami vehemently denied.

"You seemed more receptive of my attention of late," Kaiba continued. "I thought the odds were finally in my favor, so I took a chance."

It was true that over the past few months they had been meeting up with more frequency than normal. However, Yami never would have suspected that Kaiba had an ulterior motive for seeing him. "You actually like me," Yami said in disbelief, still trying to process it. "But why?"

Brushing a stray bang away from Yami's face, Kaiba explained, "You are the only one worthy enough for me."

Rolling his eyes at that, Yami had to comment, "Do you have any idea how arrogant that makes you sound?"

"Regardless, it is the truth," Kaiba said with a smirk.

Hesitating a moment, Yami made himself say, "I don't know how I feel about you."

Rubbing Yami's arousal, Kaiba teased, "I think I have a good indication of it."

"That aside," Yami said as he pushed Kaiba's hand away so he could think, "I'm still getting used to the idea."

Kissing Yami in a teasing manner, Kaiba murmured, "Lucky for you, I'm good at waiting," before he began kissing him senseless.

Yami thought he was going to come undone when Kaiba slowly started kissing his neck sensuously. His breath became shaky as Kaiba continued, feeling weak in the knees whenever he suckled lightly enough so as not to leave a mark. Yami didn't want to be the only one receiving pleasure, but he was paralyzed by the perfection that was Kaiba's lips.

Just when Yami thought he couldn't take any more, Kaiba's phone rang and startled them both. Picking it up, Kaiba toughly growled, "What?" It shouldn't have been so sexy, but Yami had to hold in a whimper of noise at the sound. "Fine, put them on hold, I'll be with them in a minute."

Hanging up the phone in agitation, Kaiba finally moved from his place between Yami's legs. Smoothing his tie and straightening his cuff links, Kaiba sounded all business as he said, "I have to take this."

Sitting up, Yami took a moment to compose himself before saying, "Okay. Do you want me to go?"

Even though he knew he didn't have time, Kaiba reached out and caressed Yami's cheek before stealing one last perfect kiss. "I want you to stay, but you can't," Kaiba told him, the disappointment evident in his tone.

Yami surprised them both when he shyly kissed Kaiba before saying, "Okay," and getting off the desk.

It was hard watching Yami walk away when Kaiba knew he had finally made progress, but business was business. Picking up the phone, Kaiba refocused himself for the task at hand.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **That certainly didn't work out the way Yami originally planned~.

**NEXT CHAPTER:**

"_Is that so?" Yami asked as he raised his eyebrows in surprise._

The next chapter will be posted on **Sunday, November 30th**, so please look forward to it! In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this week's installment and I would love to hear your thoughts on it.


	5. Chapter 05: Recap

**Chapter 05: Recap**

Yami's meeting with Kaiba had put to rest some of his fears while raising new concerns. Could he really be with Kaiba in such a way?

"So how did it go?" Yuugi asked, having come downstairs when he heard Yami enter.

Still a bit shell-shocked, Yami could only say, "I don't know."

The response made Yuugi laugh as he said, "That's not good."

"It wasn't bad," Yami clarified, "but I don't know. It was weird."

Leaving the way to the living room, Yuugi commented, "Isn't everything with him kind of weird?"

"Yeah," Yami agreed with a heavy sigh, "I just don't know anymore."

Sitting on the couch next to Yami, Yuugi asked, "So did he kiss you again?"

Nodding miserably, Yami hid his face on his hands as he remembered all too well what Kaiba had done to him. "He's too good at it," Yami complained, still bothered by who Kaiba had gained such experience.

The comment made Yuugi grin as he guessed, "So I take it there wasn't much talking."

Running his hand over his face before resting his chin in his palm, Yami said, "There was enough."

"Then you got your answer?" Yuugi wondered, finding it a strange response.

"I'm more confused now than when I went over there," Yami bitterly complained.

"What's confusing? You like him, he likes you," Yuugi responded. "What's the problem?"

Leaning back into the comforts of the old couch, Yami replied, "It's _Kaiba_."

"That's not the problem, that's the reason," Yuugi wisely pointed out to Yami.

"It's still weird," Yami protested. "I mean, we're rivals. And now he wants to date me?"

"Are you afraid of losing your rivalry?" Yuugi asked, trying to understand Yami's hang up on the issue.

Shrugging, Yami sighed, "I don't know. He doesn't seem like he'd let a relationship get in the way of a duel."

"Then what's the real problem?" Yuugi pressed, trying to help Yami gain some perspective on the matter.

Fidgeting with his hands, Yami softly questioned, "What if it goes the same way it did with Otogi?"

Realizing they were getting closer to the truth, Yuugi reassured him, "You didn't end on a bad note with him, you're still friends."

"It's different now," Yami tried to explain.

"And Kaiba-kun's different," Yuugi persisted, feeling the need to defend his friend. "He's not going to let you go so easily."

"Kaiba just seems more…serious about this. Otogi was just friends having fun," Yami said, not realizing it was a worry from him until then. "It was just experimenting, but this…he's really serious about me I think."

"And that scares you," Yuugi realized.

Scowling at the choice of words, Yami denied, "I'm not _scared_. It's just…this isn't a decision to be made lightly."

"He's not going to stop until you say yes," Yuugi predicted, knowing how Kaiba worked.

"That's what worries me," Yami sighed. "He's rather…_effective_ at wearing down my resistance."

"Is that such a bad thing?" Yuugi wanted to know.

Rather than answering that question, Yami asked, "Can you really see the two of us going out on dates and stuff?"

It was actually easy for Yuugi to imagine Kaiba taking Yami to a high class restaurant on a date; he seemed like the kind of guy who liked to spoil those he cared about the most. Mokuba was good proof of that. "I can," Yuugi truthfully replied. "The question is can you?"

"We can't just duel every date," Yami pointed out with a sigh. "What's he going to do, take me to the movies or something?"

"I'm sure he has plans," Yuugi guessed. "You should give him a chance."

"But what if it all goes horribly wrong?" Yami wanted to know. "We both have horrible tempers, so it's a possibility."

"You're far more level headed than you give yourself credit for," Yuugi reassured him. "Besides, it could also go wonderfully right, too."

"I doubt that," Yami glumly countered.

"You should have more faith in him than that," Yuugi counseled. "I think he'd really surprise you."

Turning the corner of his mouth upward slightly, Yami said, "He already has."

"Well there you go," Yuugi brightly said with a laugh. "Personally, I think you two would be great together."

"You thought the same thing about me and Otogi," Yami reminded him.

"And I wasn't wrong then, either," Yuugi defended himself. "He was good for you in a lot of ways. If he wasn't such a playboy, I suspect you'd still be with him."

"Yeah, probably," Yami agreed.

"But if that's what you're worried about with Kaiba-kun, I don't think you need to," Yuugi said. "He seems to be the loyal type."

Yami had no doubt about that aspect of Kaiba, but he still wasn't completely convinced. "I don't know…" Yami hedged, still trying to make a decision.

Before Yuugi could say anything further, the doorbell rang. Checking the time on his watch as he got up, Yuugi commented, "It's still a little early for Jounouchi-kun to show up, but…"

Yami waited for the telltale signs of his friend's arrival, but instead Yuugi called out to him, "Yami, it's for you!"

Walking over to the door, Yami's curiosity continued to mount as a deliveryman stood there with a suit bag in hand. "I'm Yami," he said as his aibou got out of the way.

"Seto-sama requests your presence tonight at seven," the deliveryman formally said. "You are to meet at Vista Lontano in Shinjuku."

"Is that so?" Yami asked as he raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"He will send a car at six to pick you up," the deliveryman continued.

"I'm busy," Yami said, feeling a little overwhelmed by the situation.

"He was assured that you would be free this evening," the deliveryman informed Yami.

That caused Yami to look over at his aibou who looked rather sheepish. "He may have called here and asked while you were on your way home," Yuugi told him. "I figured Jounouchi-kun wouldn't mind."

Accepting the proffered suit bag with a sigh, Yami said, "I'll be ready by six."

"Excellent, Seto-sama will be most pleased," the deliveryman stated before walking away.

Shutting the door, Yami looked back at Yuugi and asked, "Really?"

"It's a good chance for you to get to know each other," Yuugi said. "You'll have fun, I'm sure of it."

"I hope you're right," Yami told him with another sigh before walking upstairs to get ready for his spontaneous date night.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Ever the showman that Kaiba…

**NEXT CHAPTER:**

_Reaching out and caressing Yami's cheek, Kaiba retorted, "You can't blame me for wanting to impress you."_

The next chapter will be posted on **Sunday, December 7th**, so please look forward to it!


	6. Chapter 06: Date Night

**A/N: **There is the slightest little bit of **solo action with fantasy** at the end of the chapter, but I don't really think it merits a warning.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 06: Date Night<strong>

Yami felt overdressed until he arrived at the restaurant. It was on the top floor of a skyscraper and gave off the impression of being super exclusive. Yami walked with as much confidence as he could muster and tried to act like he belonged. It was a little easier when he was shown to his table by the wall of windows where Kaiba was waiting for him.

Standing up to greet Yami, Kaiba let his eyes trace appreciatively over his rival's form. Kaiba knew he had made the right choice in choosing the black suit with a dark crimson shirt that offset Yami's eyes. "Welcome," Kaiba greeted him as he gestured to the free seat for Yami to take.

"Hi," Yami said almost shyly, feeling the heat of Kaiba's intense gaze as he sat down in the chair. "You didn't have to go to all this trouble, though."

"It's no trouble at all," Kaiba reassured him as he also took a seat.

"You could have just told me to dress nicely, though," Yami said as he tried not to fidget too much. "I do actually have dress clothes."

"I wasn't trying to imply otherwise," Kaiba told him, although he supposed he shouldn't have been surprised that his gesture had been misinterpreted. "I just happened to see that and think it suited you."

"It's very nice," Yami praised, having no doubt the outfit probably cost more than his entire wardrobe combined.

Smiling at that, Kaiba said, "I'm glad you lie it. I certainly do."

Yami's cheeks flushed slightly at the compliment and looed out the window to distract himself. "The view is amazing. I never would have known there was a restaurant up here," Yami commented.

"I like being away from prying eyes," Kaiba explained. "Even though it means eating at pretentious places, at least the food is amazing."

Finding it interesting that Kaiba acknowledge it was pretentious, Yami merely said, "Ah," before the waiter arrived with water.

They were quiet as they studied the menus and Yami was relieved that it was an Italian restaurant. He wouldn't have known what to order if they had gone to a French place.

After their orders were placed, Yami realized that meant it was time to talk. "Uh, how did your call go?" Yami asked, drawing a blank on subjects to talk about that weren't dueling related. How were they supposed to date when they couldn't even talk?

"Pretty well, given how distracted I was," Kaiba replied with a smirk that made Yami shiver at the memories of why he would have been distracted.

Yami felt the need to apologize, "Sorry, I didn't mean to—"

Interrupting Yami, Kaiba reassured him, "You have nothing to apologize for."

"But—"

"I'd much rather think about you than talk about quarterly earning reports," Kaiba told him with a laugh.

"That doesn't sound like much of a competition," Yami said with a smile. "I'm much more interesting than number crunching."

The comment made Kaiba grin as he said, "Precisely, which is why I'm choosing to spend my evening with you."

Wondering just how much of the evening Kaiba was planning on spending with him made Yami's blush deepen and he did his best not to think too much on the subject. "So what's new with you?" Yami asked, wanting to avoid talking about what might happen later that night.

"I actually have a new event that I want to host at Kaiba Land," Kaiba explained. "I've been meaning to talk to Yuugi about it, actually."

"I'm sure he'll be happy to do whatever you're planning," Yami said, knowing his aibou loved doing events.

"He has always been generous with his time," Kaiba acknowledged, grateful that his younger brother's friendship with Yuugi gave him easy access to the official King of Games. "I was also hoping you and several of your other friends would be willing to help."

That surprised Yami and he asked in disbelief, "You actually want Jounouchi-kun to help you with something?"

"Although we have not always seen eye to eye, he is still ranked fifth which means he has some use for me in this project."

Now Yami was really curious about Kaiba was planning. "So what's this mysterious project?" Yami wanted to know.

"I was thinking of having the top duelists in Japan teach a dueling class at the orphanage this summer," Kaiba told him. "I'd also like to include some female duelists so that the girls don't feel like it's exclusively a guy thing."

Yami was touched by the thoughtfulness of the idea and he quickly replied, "I think that's a great idea! I know everyone would love to help with that!"

"I just wanted to do something different from the regular outing to Kaiba Land," Kaiba explained. "I already got Industrial Illusions to agree to donate cards and of course I'll supply the equipment."

"That's really awesome, Kaiba," Yami told him, genuinely impressed. "I think everyone will jump at the chance to help out."

"I'm counting on it," Kaiba replied, knowing his idea hinged on the cooperation of others.

Hesitating a moment, Yami finally worked up the nerve to ask, "Can I ask you a personal question?"

"Sure," Kaiba consented, knowing that he wasn't obligated to answer it.

"If you insist so much that the past is irrelevant to you, why do you keep in such close contact with the orphanage?" Yami wanted to know, having always found that strange. "It just seems like the kind of thing that you would normally distance yourself from."

Taking a sip of water before answering, Kaiba finally said, "They were good to us when the rest of the world turned their backs on us. I have never forgotten that. Plus, if I can alleviate some of the pain of being there, that's the least I can do. Small acts of kindness go a long way in a place like that."

Wondering if it was wrong to pry, Yami questioned, "Do you have any friends from your time there?"

"No, but Mokuba has a few," Kaiba replied. "I didn't concern myself with such things back then."

"You don't really concern yourself with them now, either," Yami pointed out with a sad smile.

"Fair point," Kaiba conceded.

"Do you consider us friends?" Yami asked, unaware of the hopeful look in his eyes.

Softening his gaze, Kaiba replied, "You are the closest I've ever come to allowing myself to have a friend."

"Why is that?" Yami pressed, wanting to understand.

"Because I never believed that I needed a friend," Kaiba told him, unaware of how sad that made Yami feel. "Besides my brother, you are the only person I've ever felt that I need in my life."

It was an unexpected confession and Yami felt touched by the sentiment. "I didn't realize you felt that way," Yami finally responded, still moved by the confession.

Hating that he couldn't touch Yami, Kaiba continued to ache with the need to do so. "Regardless if you accept my advances, I can't lose you," Kaiba confessed, although it pained hi to do so. "You have become too important to me in too many ways."

They were words that Yami had never expected to hear and he felt them deeply. "Kaiba," Yami breathed, still reeling from the knowledge. "I—"

The arrival of the waiter with their food interrupted Yami and Kaiba was more than happy to stop addressing such private things publically. He redirected the conversation onto safer subjects as they ate and Yami was surprised at how easy it was to talk with Kaiba. The night passed quickly and soon they were parked in front of the Game Shop in Kaiba's private limo.

"I had a really good time tonight," Yami thanked him.

"As did I," Kaiba replied. "I hope to do this again some time soon."

"I'd like that," Yami said, surprised that he actually meant it. "Although you don't always have to send clothing for me."

Reaching out and caressing Yami's cheek, Kaiba retorted, "You can't blame me for wanting to impress you."

Leaning forward slightly, Yami initiated a kiss that was sweet and unhurried, pleased when Kaiba didn't try to escalate it. "I don't think you have to worry about that," Yami said with a soft laugh that Kaiba wanted to hear again.

Unable to resist temptation, Kaiba claimed one more kiss, this time with a burning passion that swept Yami away with it. He could scarcely remember to breathe when they parted. "Kaiba…" Yami sighed, his tone colored with need.

"Say my name like that again and I'm not letting you get out of this car," Kaiba playfully warned, the sound cutting straight through him.

Part of Yami was half-tempted to do it just to see what would happen, but he knew better than to tempt Kaiba. "I should probably go," Yami decided, knowing if he stayed he'd get himself into trouble. "Thank you for such a great night."

"Anytime," Kaiba offered, hoping Yami would take him up on the offer.

Yami allowed one more lingering kiss that was filled with want before he got out of the limo. It was too tempting to stay and Yami didn't trust himself when Kaiba looked at him in that certain way that made heat rush through his veins. It made Yami want to take things further and he knew he wasn't quite ready for that.

Only once Yami was safe in the house did the limo pull away. Yami walked upstairs to change and was stopped on the way to his room when Yuugi called out, "How did it go?"

Entering his aibou's room, Yami admitted, "It went really well. Better than I expected."

"That's great!" Yuugi happily exclaimed. "I knew it would."

"We actually talked," Yami told him, still sounding surprised. "And now I don't know what to think."

Grinning knowingly, Yuugi said, "You like him."

"I don't—well, maybe a _little_, but not like that, or at least I don't think," Yami tried to say. "It's all a mess in my head now."

"You totally like him," Yuugi repeated, finding the whole thing amusing.

"Stop saying that!" Yami demanded, but it only mad Yuugi laugh harder. "It's not funny!"

"Oh, you _really_ like him," Yuugi realized when Yami started to blush.

Crossing his arms over his chest, Yami hotly replied, "Just because I had a good time tonight doesn't mean that I want to be with him like that!"

"But you do," Yuugi said in a sing song voice.

"I don't!" Yami protested.

"You totally do," Yuugi continued, laughing at how worked up Yami was getting.

"Aibou!" Yami exclaimed.

Holding up his hands in surprise, Yuugi apologized, "Sorry, sorry. I just think it's funny that you're trying to act like you're not interested when you clearly are."

"That doesn't mean I want to date him," Yami insisted, unable to refute Yuugi's claim.

"Except that you do," Yuugi retorted with another knowing look. "You should be more honest with yourself."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Yami demanded in exasperation.

Having spent most of Battle City in the millennium Puzzle, Yuugi had been overly aware of Yami's thoughts at the time. "It wasn't a one-sided obsession on his end," Yuugi finally explained. "You've been pretty tied up in him for a long time now."

Yami desperately wanted to deny it, but he couldn't without lying. "I was interested in him as a rival," Yami insisted.

"It was more than that and you know it," Yuugi wisely contradicted. "There's no shame in it."

Running his fingers though his hair, Yami sighed, "This is all just so confusing."

"Not really," Yuugi disagreed. "It all boils do to one thing: do you want to kiss him again?"

"So what if I do?" Yami asked.

Grinning again, Yuugi said, "Then you have your answer."

"But it's _Kaiba_," Yami protested.

"Which is why you like him," Yuugi pointed out the obvious.

Groaning, Yami sighed, "This is so confusing."

"So take your time and sort it out," Yuugi counseled. "It's not like he needs an immediate answer."

"He didn't even bring it up tonight," Yami added, still a little surprised by that fact.

"He's giving you space," Yuugi guessed. "You may as well take advantage of it because I doubt he'll be this patient for long."

"You're probably right," Yami realized, knowing that patience wasn't Kaiba's strong point. "I think I'm going to go take a shower and think."

"Is that what you're calling it now?" Yuugi joked, laughing at Yami's scandalized expression.

"Aibou!" Yami exclaimed in shock.

Waving it away, Yuugi said, "I'm just playing. Go take your shower."

Yami hurried though his shower, determined not to do what Yuugi had implied, even if it was more tempting than he'd care to admit. It was all just so confusing now as his want warred with his common sense.

As he sealed himself in the sanctuary of his room, Yami finally had to admit that some part of him actually wanted Kaiba. He couldn't stop the mental picture of himself riding Kaiba hard in the backseat of the limo, writhing in pleasure as they searched for their peaks together. It was too tempting a visual and Yami sighed heavily as he felt himself starting to become aroused. It was as if now that he gave himself permission to notice, he couldn't stop thinking about how attractive Kaiba was.

Shutting off the lights, Yami crawled into bed with another heavy sigh. Things had become overly complicated, but that was largely due to Yami's resistance to the idea. Then again, the night had gone a long way toward putting his mind at ease about what dating Kaiba would be like. He hadn't been lying when he said it had been an enjoyable evening. Yami had actually had fun and had even managed to forget for a little while that it was a date.

So why was he still so hesitant to be with Kaiba? Was it really only because he was afraid that they would lose their rivalry if it all went bad? When he had with Otogi, it felt like nothing had been at stake. If they worked out, then that was great. If not, they were still friends. Nothing had changed after they split, but Yami knew it wouldn't be the same for Kaiba. He was far too invested in it and wasn't exactly known for being the forgiving type. No, if their dating relationship ended, all of their relationships would end.

But was worrying about one possible outcome really worth not taking a chance on something that could be amazing? Kaiba and him were obviously very compatible on a physical level, which was something that he had missed about being with Otogi. Being alone just wasn't as satisfying when you knew what it felt like to be with someone.

Besides, if Yami was truly being honest with himself, maybe he had always been interested in Kaiba on some level. He had fought hard to gain recognition as a worthy rival and to make Kaiba believe in his then unsolid existence. After he gained his body, Yami had actively pursued Kaiba duels, which were great excuses to spend time in his presence. But did that really mean Yami liked Kaiba would like that?

Rolling onto his back, Yami stared up at the dark expanse of his ceiling and accidentally pictured Kaiba joining him in bed. Kaiba said nothing as he smirked down at Yami before kissing him deeply. Yami imaged Kaiba moving on quickly to explore his body with lips and fingertips, enticing him into a state of frenzied arousal. As he continued fantasizing, Yami's hands travelled the same path as Kaiba's, causing him to become erect and aching for more. He couldn't stop himself from masturbating when he visualized Kaiba going down on him.

Even though there was a disconnect in feeling between his hand and the wet warmth of Kaiba's mouth, it didn't matter. The thought of those arrogant blue eyes looking up at him as Kaiba brought him to the very brink of pleasure was almost too much to handle. Yami had to bite his lower lip as he continued, doing his best to muffle the sounds of his enjoyment so as not to draw unwanted attention to himself.

It only served to make Kaiba step up his efforts in the fantasy as he started to insert his fingers into Yami's entrance and toy with that spot that always made him come undone. It made Yami want to get one of his vibrators to help fill that empty ache inside of him, but he was too far along to be bothered to stop for such a thing. No, imaging Kaiba's slim fingers working him was more than enough to help Yami finish.

It didn't take much more before Yami came with a muffled gasp, his back arching slightly as he found released and pictured Kaiba swallowing it all. It left him panting from the effort and he lay still for a moment and enjoyed the aftermath. He had no idea if Kaiba would ever do such a thing, but damn if Yami didn't want it. Yami felt like he was fighting a losing battle against Kaiba, but somehow he didn't mind losing this time.

As he cleaned himself off with tissues from his nightstand, Yami realized he had to admit that at least on some level, he actually wanted Kaiba. _Badly_. It was a disturbing revelation and Yami wasn't quite sure what to do. Did he just march into Kaiba Corporation and announce that they were officially dating? Did he allow his consent to serve as silent approval when they started to fool around the next time? Yami just didn't know what to do.

Rolling onto his side and curling up, Yami did his best to fall asleep.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** I don't know why, but playful Yuugi is really amusing. I'm shocked that it's taken me this long to write him that way…

**NEXT CHAPTER:**

"_Then what are you doing?" Yami hissed as he tried and failed to stop Kaiba from undoing the button on his jeans._

The next chapter will be posted on **Sunday, December 14th**, so please look forward to it!


	7. Chapter 07: Feeling It Out

**A/N:** There's about **22 percent sexual content** in this chapter, so please enjoy!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 07: Feeling It Out<strong>

When Mokuba entered the Mutou's living room with Kaiba in tow, Yami's heart immediately began to race. It had been three days since their date and Yami hadn't been able to quit thinking about it since. Still, he did his best to seem unaffected as he casually greeted them both.

As Mokuba sat down and jumped right into the conversation between the rest of the Yuugi-tachi, Kaiba remained standing as he addressed Yami, "May I have a word with you in private?"

"Sure," Yami consented, doing his best to ignore his friends' reactions. Debating whether to go outside or up to his room, Yami settled for the true privacy of his room.

When Kaiba shut the door behind him, Yami swallowed hard as nervousness his him full force. "You wanted to talk?' Yami asked as he faced Kaiba.

"I came to listen," Kaiba corrected him as he approached Yami and invaded his personal space.

"Who did you get your experience from?" Yami blurted out, the question that had been bothering him since the beginning. "It's not fair that you know who I've been with and I know nothing about your past."

"Fair enough," Kaiba conceded. "I dabbled with a senior vice president at a microchip company that we use."

It took a moment for the information to process before Yami could ask, "Were you serious with him?"

"It was an arrangement of convenience to keep me occupied while you were otherwise engaged," Kaiba explained.

"So you're saying it's my fault you had to date someone else?" Yami demanded, not liking the accusation. Something inside of him burned at the idea of Kaiba being with some unknown businessman and it felt a lot like jealousy, but that couldn't be right. There was no real reason for Yami to feel that way.

"No, I am merely saying that I had to content myself with other options because you were unavailable," Kaiba denied. "There's no blame there."

Although part of him thought it was a bad idea, Yami asked, "What was his name?"

"Nakamuro Genjiro," Kaiba informed him. "Planning on looking him up?"

Turning his nose up at the idea, Yami icily denied, "_No_."

Narrowing the distance between them, Kaiba murmured, "You just want to know the name I used to moan while thinking about being with you?"

Yami's overactive imagination supplied him with an image that was vivid enough to make him blush. "That's…" Yami tried to say, but the words wouldn't come to him.

Reaching out and caressing Yami's cheek, Kaiba softly reassured him, "He meant nothing."

"Isn't that sad?" Yami asked, even as he leaned into the touch.

"No more so than what you had with Otogi," Kaiba replied with a shrug. "It was never supposed to be anything."

It felt hypocritical to be upset about Kaiba doing the same thing as him, but it still didn't sit well with Yami. "Why did you break up?" Yami wanted to know.

"He was forced into an arranged engagement by family," Kaiba answered. "I wasn't willing to continue once a fiancé was involved."

"Oh," was all Yami could think of to say. "Do you still see him?"

"Only on a professional level," Kaiba stated. "You have nothing to fear from him. You're all that I have ever wanted."

The sincere way Kaiba was looking at him made part of Yami melt a little and he struggled to stay in control of the situation. "What if this doesn't work out?" Yami questioned.

"As if I would let you go so easily," Kaiba scoffed before kissing Yami gently, almost teasingly. It drew Yami into it against his better judgment and he braced one hand against Kaiba's chest to balance himself. It encouraged Kaiba and he delved deeper to explore the warmth of Yami's willing mouth. It left Yami breathless when they parted. "What do I have to do to convince you that I'm serious about you?"

"I know you're serious," Yami stated, having no doubts about that. "I'm just…worried."

"About what?" Kaiba wanted to know so he could lay those fears to rest.

"If it all goes wrong, what then?" Yami started. "You like me more seriously than I do you and—"

"It won't go wrong," Kaiba said with firm conviction. "And the feelings will eventually even out as we date. I don't expect our feelings to be at the level at this point."

"Isn't that unfair to you?" Yami questioned.

"I am willing to wait," Kaiba told Yami before kissing him again.

Forcing himself to quietly admit, "I mean, I like you. But I'm not in love with you or anything."

"Yet," Kaiba added with a smirk. "Give it time."

"Okay," Yami hesitantly agreed, watching with fascination as Kaiba's expression brightened considerably.

"Are you saying…?" Kaiba asked with the slightest hint of hope in his voice.

Shyly looking up at Kaiba, Yami confirmed, "Yes, I will…accept your advances, as you said."

Kaiba kissed Yami with the full force of his feelings and it was overwhelming for the former pharaoh. Although there was a lingering sense of nervousness, Yami gave himself over to Kaiba's passions, entwining his fingers in brunette hair to ground himself.

Kaiba moved on to Yami's neck, lavishing attention on it. It felt far too good for the simple sensation that it was, but Yami felt hypersensitive as Kaiba's fingers slipped under his shirt and caressed his skin. He was starting to become aroused and it made Yami protest, "Wait, we can't—we're not having sex."

"Who said anything about sex?" Kaiba retorted with a rude snort. "My brother is downstairs."

"Then what are you doing?" Yami hissed as he tried and failed to stop Kaiba from undoing the button on his jeans.

"It doesn't mean we can't do other things," Kaiba said with a wicked grin as he dropped to his knees, causing Yami to grow fully hard.

When Kaiba pulled down his pants and briefs, Yami softly exclaimed, "But my friends are downstairs! And your brother!"

Looking up at Yami with a devastatingly sexy look, Kaiba murmured, "Then I suggest you stay quiet," before taking the erect member into his mouth.

It caused Yami to gasp, "Kaiba," as he grabbed hold of the brunette's should to steady himself.

The sound of his name said in such a way made Kaiba moan softly and Yami shuddered in response. "Kaiba, we _can't_," Yami protested before he was too far along to want to.

Kaiba responded by swallowing around the member in his mouth and Yami made an interesting noise in response. Kaiba continued enthusiastically working Yami's length, caressing it with his tongue while he moved his head. Yami's protests were quickly forgotten as Kaiba expertly went down on him, making him feel weak in the knees. Yami had to remind himself not to thrust into that wet warmth that was driving him wild. It had just been so long since he had experienced such a thing and he softly keened in pleasure as he neared his climax. "So good," Yami moaned, "so damn good!"

Unable to say anything in response, Kaiba stepped up his efforts as he lightly started to tease Yami's entrance with his finger. It caused Yami to make a needy noise as he ached with a need to be filled by Kaiba, but too soon the finger was moved away. It made Yami sigh, "Kaiba," again with a lust filled tone and it made Kaiba want to do so much more than they were allowed to do at the moment.

Yami knew he couldn't hold out much longer and he tried to warn Kaiba, but it didn't dissuade him from finishing properly. He wanted to make Yami cum and Kaiba teased the head of the cock in his mouth with his tongue. It caused Yami to cum and his whole body reacted to the feeling as the climax crashed over him. He shivered when Kaiba swallowed his released and wiped the corner of his mouth with his thumb when he pulled back and freed the spent member. Kaiba looked smug, but Yami couldn't reprimand him after that experience.

"What about you?" Yami asked as he pulled up his pants and briefs and adjusted himself.

Even though it displeased him, Kaiba pointed out, "If we stay up here any longer, they'll become suspicious."

"Like you walking down there with a hard on won't be suspicious?" Yami scoffed.

Smirking at that, Kaiba said, "I'm more than well-versed in hiding it, thanks."

Yami started to protest again, but he knew that Kaiba had a point. If they took much longer, either Jounouchi or Mokuba would come upstairs looking for them. Still, he just didn't feel right about finding release while Kaiba suffered.

Standing up and pressing a gentle kiss on the soft skin by his ear, Kaiba murmured, "You can make it up to me later if you want."

The sound of Kaiba's voice so close to his ear made Yami shiver with want and he bit back a moan when the brunette nipped at his ear. "When?" Yami asked, a hint of need in his voice.

Kissing his way down Yami's neck, Kaiba said in between kisses, "Whenever you want."

"Aren't you a busy CEO with lots of important stuff to do?" Yami questioned as he tilted his head with a sigh. "I would think it's whenever you have a free moment."

"I will always find a way to make time for you," Kaiba promised, knowing that if he could do it for Mokuba, he could for Yami.

It surprised Yami to hear and he had to stop Kaiba from continuing further. "That means a lot coming from you," Yami commented, touched by the sentiment. "But we seriously need to go downstairs."

"Before you lose all will to resist me?" Kaiba teased.

"Very funny," Yami sarcastically shot back, although it was closer to the truth that he wanted to admit.

Chuckling to himself, Kaiba allowed Yami to lead them out of the bedroom and back downstairs to where the friends were waiting their return, although he took a moment on the stairs to readjust him to be presentable.

"Kaiba-kun, would you like to join us for dinner?" Yuugi offered as they each took a separate seat.

Kaiba shocked them all when he agreed, "Yes, actually. I have something I've been meaning to discuss with you."

"You do?" Yuugi asked uncertainly, wondering if it was related to wanting to date Yami.

"Ooh, you're in trouble now," Jounouchi playfully joked with a laugh.

"It involves you, too," Kaiba told Jounouchi with a smirk.

"I think the world may be coming to an end," Jounouchi said, laughing again. "You actually want to talk to me? An honest to god conversation? I think I might actually die of shock. Honda, even after I'm dead, you still can't date my sister!"

Everyone laughed at Jounouchi's antics and Kaiba responded, "You can die after I'm done with you."

"Nice to know everything is back to normal," Jounouchi said with a wink in Kaiba's direction. "You had me worried there for a moment that you had become a decent human being."

Anzu started to reprimand Jounouchi, but all Kaiba responded with was a, "Hn," since he wasn't the least bit bothered by such comments. Normally he would have lobbed at least one more insult at Jounouchi, but Kaiba needed him to agree to cooperate with his plan. Besides, he was in too good of a mood to be bothered by such things. The only thing that mattered at the moment was Yami and Kaiba had all that he wanted.

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><p><strong>AN: **I really like this Jounouchi and I kind of wish he had popped up in a different story where we saw more of him. Banter is fun~.

**NEXT CHAPTER:**

"_I figured you and Kaiba-kun would want your privacy," Yuugi teased, causing Yami to blush._

The next and final chapter will be posted on **Sunday, December 21st**, which is hard to believe that it's already ending. In some ways I feel like I just started this. Thank you so much for your continued support!


	8. Chapter 08: Feeling Good

**A/N: **This chapter is **54 percent lemon**, which is about time.

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><p><strong>Chapter 08: Feeling Good<strong>

As the group walked back to the Game Shop after a long dinner, Kaiba and Yami hung back a bit to talk.

"I knew everyone would be happy to participate in your idea," Yami told Kaiba, the subject of running a summer camp for the orphans having been addressed over dinner.

Putting his hands in his jacket pockets, Kaiba said, "I had no doubts otherwise."

"I know I'm excited to help," Yami continued, looking forward to what was sure to be a rewarding experience. "I still think it's a really amazing thing to do."

"I'm not as terrible of a person as some make me out to be," Kaiba pointed out, knowing his reputation.

Hurriedly clarifying, "That's not what I meant," Yami felt bad for misphrasing what he was trying to say. "Trust me, I of all people know what kind of a person you are."

Sensing Yami's distress, Kaiba tried to alleviate it by saying, "But the facts are facts. I'm an asshole most of the time."

"I don't believe that," Yami disagreed. "I think that's what you want people to believe, but that's not who you really are."

Arching an eyebrow at the assertion, Kaiba asked in a facetious voice, "So you're saying I'm just a misunderstood soul?"

Laughing at that, Yami said, "I'm not saying that, either. I just know there's more to you than just being a bastard."

Letting the topic go, Kaiba decided to switch gears and ask, "So what are your plans for the rest of the evening?"

Yami knew what that invitation translated to and he hesitantly added, "Aren't we moving kind of fast?"

"You can't blame me for being a little eager," Kaiba teased, although there was truth in the statement. "However, whatever you're comfortable with is fine by me. I am by no means trying to rush you into anything."

"Which I appreciate," Yami said. "I don't know, I'll think about it."

"Then that is all I can ask," Kaiba replied, knowing he'd have to be content with that.

The truth was that Yami wanted to take up the invitation. He felt like he was going out of his mind with lust at times and he knew being with Kaiba would help alleviate that feeling. However, the other part of his mind pointed out that it probably wasn't prudent to because with Kaiba so soon after agreeing to date him. So how long was he supposed to wait? Yami didn't know the answer to that. Was there really a difference in waiting a week?

As Yami continued mulling it over, the two battled amicably about a number of things as they continued talking. It was enough to pass the time until they returned to the Game Shop. Sadly, Yami was no closer to a decision.

Before they reached the living room, Mokuba went over to his older brother and asked, "Can we talk?"

"Sure," Kaiba conceded and allowed himself to be led to the kitchen.

"Is it okay if I spend the night here?" Mokuba asked in a hopeful tone. "Yuugi invited me to stay."

Smiling kindly at his younger brother, Kaiba told him, "You know I don't have a problem with that."

Hugging his brother tightly, Mokuba exclaimed, "You're the best, nii-sama!"

Ruffling his hair fondly, Kaiba watched as Mokuba scampered over to tell his friends the good news. Now if only he could get Yami to agree to come home with him, the night would be perfect.

Meanwhile Yami had taken Yuugi into another room and told him his dilemma. It led Yuugi to counsel him, "Go do what you want. Nobody is judging you."

"I just don't know," Yami sighed, torn between what he should do and what he wanted.

About that time, Mokuba came around the corner and spotted them. "There you are!" Mokuba happily exclaimed. "Nii-sama said I could say!"

"That's great!" Yuugi told him, even though he had no doubts that Kaiba would let Mokuba stay the night. "We'll be right out in a minute."

"Okay," Mokuba replied, leaving the two in privacy once more.

Looking at Yami for an explanation, Yuugi said with a mischievous grin, "I may have invited Mokuba to spend the night so that Kaiba would have an empty house."

"You did what?" Yami demanded, careful to keep his voice low enough not to be heard by their other friends.

"I figured you and Kaiba-kun would want your privacy," Yuugi teased, causing Yami to blush.

It flustered Yami to think about and he asked, "You knew he was going to invite me over?"

"I assumed," Yuugi confirmed with a shrug. "I didn't think you'd struggle so much with the decision. It's pretty obvious what you want."

With Mokuba no longer in the picture, the idea of being alone with Kaiba became a lot harder to resist. "He's going to think I'm easy," Yami complained, knowing it looked bad.

"I sincerely doubt that," Yuugi told him. "But if you're worried, talk it over with him."

"That's what you always say," Yami complained.

"And aren't I usually right?" Yuugi pointed out with a smile.

Scowling in response, Yami asked, "Isn't everyone going to think it's weird I'm not here?"

"They've got to find out some time," Yuugi said with a laugh, wondering how his friends would react. "Stop trying to make excuses. But seriously, we should probably get back to them."

"Yeah," Yami agreed before following him out of the room into the living room.

Sitting on the couch, Yami's eyes searched out Kaiba instinctively. He knew if he didn't go he'd be in for a long night of what if's and that really wasn't any better. Kaiba felt his gaze and Yami felt as if his heart skipped a beat. It was silly to pretend that he didn't want to be with Kaiba when he did. And now that he didn't have to worry about Mokuba being present, it made it that much harder to resist.

Kaiba stayed for another half hour as the friends continued talking and playing video games, but he had finally had enough. Standing up, Kaiba announced, "I'm going now."

As everyone started to say their goodbyes, Yami realized he had to act. Standing up, Yami walked over to Kaiba and it caused Jounouchi to joke, "What, are you walking the Prince to his car?"

"Actually, I'm going with him," Yami replied, causing Jounouchi to howl with laughter.

"That's a good one!" Jounouchi exclaimed with a laugh.

Not sure how to take his friend's reaction, Yami insisted, "I'm serious, Jounouchi-kun."

"Wait, really?" Jounouchi asked, his laughter dying down finally. "_Why_?"

"Because we're dating now," Yami informed them, bracing for the reaction he might receive.

"Whoa, whoa, wait, _what_?" Jounouchi asked as he tried to understand. "You're seriously dating this guy? _The_ Kaiba Seto?"

Nodding, Yami confirmed, "Yeah," and watched as his friend continued to stutter fragments of words in shock.

"That's great, nii-sama!" Mokuba congratulated him, knowing how long his brother had liked Yami. "I'm really happy for you both."

It was a relief to Yami to hear Mokuba supported the decision, but then again, Kaiba probably wouldn't have acted if he had known his younger brother opposed it. "Thanks," Yami said with a gentle smile at Mokuba.

Anzu, Honda, and Yuugi seconded their support, which Yami was also grateful for, even though Jounouchi was still trying to process the revelation. "You two, but he's—and you're—what?" Jounouchi continued protesting, still at a loss.

"This is probably going to take awhile," Yami warned Kaiba, having been witness to a similar reaction when Jounouchi found out that he was with Otogi.

"Do we have to wait for it?" Kaiba asked, not really interested in delaying his evening for Jounouchi's theatrics.

"Probably not," Yami decided, knowing Jounouchi would continue to flounder about it for some time whether they were there or not. "We'll see you guys later."

Yami led the way, leaving behind a very confused Jounouchi. It was quickly forgotten about as they approached the waiting limo and got inside of it.

"Well that went better than I expected," Yami commented as the limo began to drive.

"How much worse could it have been?" Kaiba asked as he ran his fingers through his hair.

"He could have hit you," Yami pointed out, knowing that his friend was prone to bouts of violence.

"Hn, I'd like to see him try," Kaiba arrogantly replied, knowing his fighting skills were far superior to the mutt's style of street fighting.

"He'll come around to the idea if we give him time," Yami predicted, knowing that despite his protests, he would eventually come around to the idea as he had with Otogi.

Kaiba knew that getting approval from his friends was as important to Yami as support from his younger brother was for himself. Kaiba said nothing about it, instead he said, "I'm glad you decided to join me tonight."

"I don't want you to think I'm easy," Yami warned, not comfortable with Kaiba having such a low opinion of him.

"The thought never crossed my mind," Kaiba promised him before leaning over and kissing him reassuringly. "Not even once."

"Good," Yami stated, relieved to hear it.

"Besides," Kaiba continued, "why would I be upset that you want to be with me as much as I want to be with you?"

That was a better way of looking at the situation and Yami took the initiative and kissed Kaiba. Somehow he ended up on Kaiba's lap as kiss melted into kiss. Yami gasped when Kaiba groped his ass firmly and felt the start of arousal, especially when he remembering thinking earlier in the date about riding Kaiba in the backseat.

It was a saving grace when they arrived at the mansion and Kaiba led the way inside, heading straight for his room. There would be plenty of time for them to explore the house later.

Yami had almost expected their clothes to come off in a hurry, but Kaiba took his time stripping each other until they were completed naked. It felt glorious to be so close to him in such a state and Yami sighed in pleasure at finally getting to feel that way after so long. Kaiba ran his fingers along the curve of Yami's spine before using his ass to pull their bodies even closer. "Yami," Kaiba moaned low in his ear with great need before suckling on his earlobe.

It made Yami shiver and he wasn't surprised when he grew fully hard at that. He embraced Kaiba and reveled in the feeling of skin again skin, getting excited for what came next. He was quick to get on the bed with a mounting sense of anticipation and he wrapped his arms around Kaiba's neck with a sigh when he lay over top of him.

It was perfection for Kaiba and he took his time worshipping every inch of Yami's body, almost unable to believe it was finally happening. Yami was so responsive to his touch and Kaiba couldn't get enough of the sounds he was making.

He stopped only long enough to get the lube from his nightstand and prepped his fingers for entering Yami. He continued kissing and licking his way along Yami's body as he began working his fingers inside, positively aching to be buried in that warmth he had dreamt about for so long.

When Yami thought he couldn't take any more teasing, he pleaded in a breathy voice, "_Please_, Kaiba" even as his hips moved in rhythm with the fingers inside of him.

Not willing to deny Yami anything, Kaiba lined himself up and entered slowly. It was so much better than dreams and Kaiba felt in his glory with Yami embracing him so intimately. When Kaiba leaned forward for a kiss, his body automatically reacted to Yami tensing up by thrusting. It caused Yami to make the most erotic of noises and Kaiba knew he was lost forever in that moment.

Kaiba started off slow, learning the feel of Yami's body and driving him wild in the process. Yami moaned in satisfaction at finally feeling so whole once more and he arched up slightly as his entire body reacted to the feeling of being with Kaiba. He rested his hands on Kaiba's broad shoulders and moved as one with him, relieved when the pace increased.

It felt so good to be with the person Kaiba had always wanted. It was almost too perfect to be real, but Kaiba didn't let it stop him from enjoying everything to the fullest. Being with Yami as damn near divine and Kaiba moaned deeply in satisfaction.

When Kaiba shifted his angle slightly, Yami cried out loudly in surprise as it hit that spot that always made him come undone. It encouraged Kaiba to thrust that much more and Yami progressively got louder as he neared his end. Every time Yami called out, "Kaiba," he renewed his efforts, driven by an insatiable need for his rival.

Yami was surprised by how vocal Kaiba was. For some reason he had imagined Kaiba to be the silent type, but he was just as prone to moaning and swearing loudly like Yami was. To know that he could drive his rival to such lengths was incredible to Yami and he didn't bother holding back anything.

Kaiba could feel Yami tensing around him as he came closer to his end and it made him reach between them and take his rival's member in hand. Yami all but shouted, "Fuck," and it caused Kaiba to smirk. Knowing he was in total control of his rival's needs was a powerful feeling, but Kaiba refused to deny him anything. It caused Yami to cum quickly as he gasped Kaiba's name and the resulting feeling almost overwhelmed the brunette. He continued thrusting into Yami's willing body until he finally came with Yami's name on his lips. Only then did Kaiba's body start to relax as he pulled out and settled beside Yami.

Hesitating a moment before acting, Yami curled up next to Kaiba's side and rested his head on his shoulder while draping an arm across his chest. Yami was pleasantly surprised when Kaiba wrapped an arm around him and pulled him closer still. It caused him to sigh happily and he idly traced unseen patterns on Kaiba's chest with his fingers.

They said nothing at first, content just to enjoy the companionable silence between them. Finally Yami commented with a quiet laugh, "You know, if someone had told me a week ago that I'd be in this position, I wouldn't have believed them."

"And now?" Kaiba asked, although he wasn't surprised to hear such a thing since he was of a similar mindset.

"I couldn't imagine being anywhere else," Yami replied, finding it strange how quickly his viewpoint had shifted. "Is that weird?"

Kissing Yami's forehead, Kaiba said, "Nah," and left it at that. "Do you want to take a shower?"

As content as he was to remain in his comfortable position, Yami knew from experience that a shower was a good idea. "Yeah," Yami agreed as he moved to get out of bed.

Even though Kaiba told himself to behave, his hands sought out Yami and glided against slick, heated skin. Even just being able to touch Yami in such a way brought great pleasure to Kaiba.

"What are you doing?" Yami asked with a laugh.

"Helping you get clean," Kaiba replied with a smirk as he let his fingers dip between Yami's asscheeks and tease his entrance.

"That's really not helping," Yami groaned, still turned on by the action even though he wasn't capable of getting hard yet.

"Are you sure?" Kaiba teased as he started kissing the side of Yami's neck.

Although he meant his, "Yes," to come out strongly, the word was laced with want.

It made Kaiba chuckle and Yami said in exasperation, "It's not funny!"

"Oh, but it is," Kaiba disagreed, although he finally stood back so Yami could shower properly.

Although part of Yami mourned the loss, he took advantage of the distance and cleaned himself. Even though Kaiba was more than willing to stay in the shower with Yami until he was capable of being fully hard again, they soon returned to bed.

With Yami curled up at his side, Kaiba felt that all was right in his world at last. It made him hug Yami that much closer, surprising the former pharaoh. "You're more touchy-feely than I expected," Yami commented, "not that I'm complaining…"

"I'm finally allowed to touch you freely," Kaiba explained, "so of course I'm going to be. Naturally I'll restrain myself in public, but—"

Leaning up and interrupting Kaiba with a kiss, Yami reassured him, "It's fine. It makes me feel good."

"That's generally the point," Kaiba dryly pointed out, earning him a poke in the ribs as Yami lay back down again.

Yami was going to say something, but it was lost in a yawn. "Sleep," Kaiba told him, even though it was still early.

"Sorry," Yami sheepishly apologized, feeling bad.

"Don't be," Kaiba reassured him with another kiss on the forehead before turning off the light.

Yami snuggled closer to Kaiba and was soon asleep. Kaiba continued holding him, enjoying the feeling of being with the one he wanted.

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><p><strong>AN:** And so concludes another story. It's pretty weird realizing I wrote the entire thing on 1.5"x2" post it notes and transcribed it all. That's dedication~.

I hope that we can meet again in my new story, **Something More**. It's going to be my first crossover Prideshipping story that takes place in the Ouran High School Host Club setting. Rest assured, it is a Prideshipping story first and foremost. The emphasis is completely on Kaiba and Yami's relationship and the Ouran characters are a very minor part of the story. You don't need to have seen Ouran to understand the story (although I would highly recommend it because it's a hysterical and awesome show). There are also no spoilers in the story for Ouran, so you can read it without worrying about that.

I am super proud of this new story and I can't wait to share it with everyone! I dare say it may be my favorite one I've done yet. It's going to be a _very_ long story, but it is a lot of fun and I hope that you will all join me on that journey.

I will be posting the new story on **Sunday, January 4th**, because it seems fitting to start the new story in the new year. Thank you for your continual support, encouragement, and kind words. It's your wonderful reviews and friendships that help keep me going and make this such a rewarding experience. I hope you enjoy the new story even more!


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